ELON, N.C. – After completing the final round at last week's Edisto Island Invitational, Elon sophomore
Annie Wu initially believed that only the top three finishers would receive all-tournament recognition.
To her surprise, this notion was proven wrong, as she was invited on stage to receive an award for her solo fifth-place finish, the best of her college career thus far. Wu described the moment as a rush of gratitude.
"I was like, 'Oh, that's such a good feeling, like I've never really experienced it before, especially at the college level,'" Wu said.
Wu posted a 2-over par 212 over three rounds at the Edisto Island Invitational to earn the second top-10 result of her young career. The accomplishment signified a turning point in Wu's collegiate golf journey. After an up-and-down freshman season, Wu had a productive summer of training that allowed her to return to the course this fall with a renewed focus.
"I came back here, and I was just like, 'I'm ready to play again. And I know now what I'm expecting," Wu said.
Wu placed a strong emphasis on the virtues of patience and resilience for her success at Edisto Island, noting she made a conscious effort to slow down her game after consulting with assistant coach Lori Beth Adams.
"In the first three tournaments [of the fall], I didn't perform as well as I had hoped. I was rushing a little too much" Wu said. "I just wanted to be patient and view it as a long game. So, I was really patient throughout the entire game and made a deliberate effort to stand my ground."
In addition to making the all-tournament team, Wu tied for the lead in the field in birdies, boasting an impressive count of 12, and showcased a remarkable par-5 scoring average of 4.56.
Wu expressed her profound appreciation for the unwavering support she received from her coaches and teammates.
"I was really able to excel in this tournament because my coach, assistant coach and all of my teammates have been incredibly supportive throughout this entire journey," Wu said.
"Their constant presence and encouragement mean the world to me, and I'm genuinely thankful for that."
The maroon and gold will close out its fall season on Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 23-24, in Spartanburg, S.C. at the Terrier Intercollegiate.
'Rising Phoenix' is a new student-led initiative to cover Elon Athletics. Through innovative content creation and storytelling, Elon University students will have the opportunity to highlight the moments, people and events that make an impact, leveraging the athletic department's various web and social media platforms for distribution. Follow Rising Phoenix on Twitter (@EURisingPhoenix) and Instagram (@elonrisingphoenix). Interested in joining this initiative as a content creator (video, graphics, writing, storytelling, or more)? Contact Jacob Kisamore at jkisamore@elon.edu.
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